


clear as day

by ClementineKitten



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fragmented Narrative, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, M/M, aggressive use of parentheses, and hinata is a dumbass (but he's kageyama's dumbass), jealous kageyama because why not, like it's all the characters looking in n bein like "these bitches gay! good for them.", outside perspective, somewhat of a character/relationship study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:34:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23331703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClementineKitten/pseuds/ClementineKitten
Summary: Ever since Kageyama and Hinata started at Karasuno, all eyes have been on them, and they've been inseparable-- for better, or for worse.Alternatively titled: Everyone can see just how whipped Kageyama is for Hinata except the man himself.
Relationships: ...and others which are implied, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 46
Kudos: 593





	clear as day

**Author's Note:**

> "how bad are the manga spoilers?" Yes.  
> i've never written these guys before, so apologies in advance if they seem ooc, and well, i'm not getting over chap 387 any time soon, so here we gooOOO

“Someone even better will come and find you,” were the words of Kageyama’s late grandfather that he carried close to his heart ever since his death. It gave him a tiny glimmer of hope, something to stoke his passion, but he hadn’t found that person yet. He had been working tirelessly, honing his skills, with the belief that it would be rewarded with someone with whom he could go toe to toe etched into him.

He had searched, and searched, and searched, but no one was willing to meet him on equal footing. No one was willing to put in the hard effort, to bleed, sweat, and cry in the same way he had since he was old enough to bump a volleyball.

He couldn’t give up. Somewhere in him was the child who’s eyes had lit up when his grandfather had told him that, but as he was learning, no one stood by the king’s side; instead, they were meant to kowtow to him.

That was, until…

“I’m here!”

...And shattered his inhibitions.

(His grandfather had neglected to mention the fact that this _even better person_ would be completely insufferable, the only human alive without one singular working synapse in his brain, and the one who managed to teach Kageyama weirdly, painfully, and with an unprecedented amount of stress, what it means to love something other than volleyball.)

-

Kageyama hasn't changed.

...At least, that was what Kindaichi had expected. Reality was a little different.

Because Kageyama didn't engage him and Kunimi outside the school. He hadn't gotten angry at all, really, and in the case of attitude, it looked like they'd have to watch out for the bald guy instead.

And in the game itself, some orange kid, their number five, was faffing about, falling into the net, colliding with his teammates, and doing all sorts of things that Kitagawa Daiichi Kageyama would have had a conniption over.

But Karasuno Kageyama? He held his tongue.

And when the orange kid served directly into the back of Kageyama's head, Kindaichi thought, _oh, it's time. He's going to lose his shit, finally._

But he didn't. He went over, talked (yelled) to the kid (apparently scared the piss out of him, too), and returned to his position with an icy cool air about him.

And then--

In the blink of an eye, the ball had hit their side of the court, and the orange kid and Kageyama were grinning at each other.

_A quick? No, that was too…_

But Karasuno were cheering anyways with bright, excited faces, and Kindaichi had to do a double take for the boy whom he thought was a little pet project, and who suddenly looked a lot taller.

_Kageyama found someone who can match him._

That was the only conclusion he was able to come from, but it was a little hard to believe. Seriously, Kageyama?

But again. And again. Kageyama and the other kid hit their quick with incredible speed and ferocity.

And Kindaichi couldn't believe his eyes.

So he had to figure it out for himself. What made Kageyama change? Who was the kid? What made Karasuno so different from middle school?

_Why were we not good enough for you, asshole?_

Each of these questions were on his tongue when he confronted Kageyama in the bathroom (or more accurately, when Kageyama confronted him), but he couldn't get even one of them out of his mouth. Maybe he was still scared, or shy, or worried. He'd convinced himself that when he turned away from Kageyama in the middle of that game, he'd severed his emotional ties with him, too.

But weirdly -- unfortunately -- there was still a part of him that cared.

So all he says is that he's not going to forgive Kageyama, and that he implores him to do the same and he prays that that phrase does all of the speaking he can't.

And then there's the _kid--_ the number five. The kid, who's doing a poor job of hiding himself in the entranceway.

Kunimi comes up beside him after Kageyama stalks away toward number five, who appears to be laughing at his expense. Laughing. _At Kageyama!_ With zero fear!

"We," Kindaichi murmurs to Kunimi. "Kageyama just said we."

“I feel kind of defeated.”

Kunimi gives him a tired look before hitting him.

Whatever change was inspired in Kageyama, he thinks it has something to do with this orange kid and his superhuman speed.

-

It’s not entirely appropriate for an adult to pry into the emotional lives of high school students, but being the coach of a bunch of young, hormonal, and at time daft kids made Ukai think it would be irresponsible to not watch out for their wellbeings. He knew what it was like to be a teenager, moreover he knew what it was like to be a teenager who played volleyball.

And Karasuno was filled with colourful characters that gave him a little more stress than he deemed necessary.

So, perhaps he should be directing his current question to Takeda, but he thinks that one of the team members may offer better insight.

“Sawamura.” He beckons their captain to him. “Those two,” he continues, indicating Kageyama and Hinata, “what exactly is their deal?”

Sawamura gives him a polite smile. “I’m sorry, we’re still trying to figure that out ourselves.”

“Huh?”

“Well, you see the way they play. Kageyama’s perfect sets and Hinata’s jumps, I mean.”

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about.” Ukai snaps his fingers. “Takeda-san told me the first time they properly met was in this gym, and yet they play like they’ve been doing it for years. He wasn’t just pulling my leg, was he?”

“Ah, no. That’s right,” Sawamura says. “Actually, the only time they met before this was at a game in middle school, as far as I know. Tanaka, Suga, and I were watching.”

“And then this just…” He pauses as he watches a set go up, and Hinata slam the ball down onto the other side. “Happened?”

“That’s essentially it, yes.”

“That's crazy,” Ukai mumbles with a shake of his head. He gives Sawamura a suspicious look. “You’re sure they didn’t live in the same neighbourhood?”

Sawamura chuckles good-naturedly. “Certain. If you look at how they are now, they were even worse when they first showed up. I had to throw them both out of the club.”

Ukai raises an eyebrow. He wasn’t really surprised, since Takeda had said something similar. “And yet, the two of them managed to pull themselves together to play volleyball. It’s kind of scary, really,” Sawamura adds.

“Scary, right.” 

“We’re all here because we love to play volleyball, but those two? There’s something different about them,” Sawamura tells him. “Really, they get on my nerves, but I’m excited to see what they’re able to do.”

Hinata throws up the ball and bumps it to Kageyama as Ukai opens his mouth to speak. “I’ve never seen anything quite like that quick of theirs, I have to admit,” he says, rubbing his chin.

“I’ve seen it some times now, but I agree. But I’m grateful to that pair of weirdos.” Sawamura gives his coach a smile. “If we’re going to stand on the court for as long as we can, we need people who are willing to fight tooth and nails to get us there. Hinata and Kageyama are just that.”

“I see. Thanks, Sawamura, you better get to warming up, now.”

“Of course, Coach Ukai.” Sawamura jogs off and Ukai crosses his arms, surveying the court once more, taking in all of the players, the sound of their shoes squeaking against the hardwood, the impact of the ball on the floor resounding through the room.

He was kind of kicking himself for not accepting Takeda’s offer earlier.

-

Suga would be lying had he said he wasn’t the slightest bit disappointed that Kageyama was appointed the regular setter.

But at the same time, he knew himself-- when it came to raw talent, Kageyama was better than him. He wasn’t going to lose to his kouhai, but more than that, he knew they were part of the same team. Kageyama may be his rival, but he’s far from an enemy. They were supposed to work together.

And at the end of the day, if Kageyama was what Karasuno needed to succeed, to win, that was that. He would keep practicing, keep training, in order to earn his spot on the court.

But being on the sidelines, it gave him time to observe. Strategize. Run simulations over and over. Watch his teammates’ habits, playing styles, see what made them tic in a way he never had the chance to when he was in the thick of it. And in some ways, he was grateful to have the pressure off of him.

His job was to bring out the best in his fellow players.

Which is why he notices the slightest things-- though not to the same extent that Kageyama did (he wonders, bemusedly, if that was a learnable skill).

Such that Hinata’s face hitting his sets is different than when he hits Kageyama’s.

Not as if he’s less grateful, or derisive, just… different. There’s a little less of that shine in those eyes of his. And, well, he’s been around Tanaka and Nishinoya enough to have a sneaking suspicion of what that means.

He informs Kageyama of this fact as he comes back to the bench in their match against Aoba Johsai (omitting his own conclusion, naturally), but it doesn’t seem to affect him too much. He watches Hinata’s grin split his face when the other boy returns to the court, and it’s a bittersweet feeling.

Those two, he realizes, need each other. Not in some mushy, sappy love story “I’d die without you!” type of way (though Suga will admit to enjoying a good romantic drama from time to time), but in a “brings out the best in each other kind of way.” It was just like Daichi had said when the two were learning to work together for the first time-- Hinata called Kageyama on his haughty king-like tendencies, and Kageyama gave Hinata the opportunity to fight on the court. Though, Suga hopes, they would both learn to absolve their issues on their own, and if their relationship gave way to that, he wouldn’t be complaining.

He _also_ hopes they realize how much they mean to each other, between their squabbling and other petty arguments.

(Perhaps if Suga had learned to mind-read, that wouldn’t be a worry of his; Kageyama had found the better person he’d been pursuing, and Hinata had the partner he needed to reach the summit.)

-

Yachi was a little afraid of Kageyama-- she was doing her best _not_ to judge others by their appearance, but his moue was so scary when he was angry! And the way he played volleyball! His tosses sliced through the air like a knife through butter! 

He, however, was surprisingly calm off the court, she was realizing, as she helped him and Hinata study for their impending exams. Still, though, even if he treated her with respect and _wasn't actually scary at all now that she thought about it,_ the way his eyes gleamed during a game still flashed in her mind, sending a spike of fear through her.

But if there was one person who wasn't afraid of Kageyama in the slightest, it was Hinata. Yachi was beginning to feel like he had the capabilities to make friends with anyone.

"So, Hinata, how long have you known Kageyama-kun? Since you were kids?" she asks as they're heading back from the subway. Her legs still feel a little weak from confronting her mother, and being forced to keep pace with Hinata.

"Huh?" Hinata's face lights up in surprise. "No! We just met this year! Well, I mean, technically we met in middle school… What makes you think we've known each other for so long?"

_Oh my goodness! I made assumptions about someone's relationship even though I barely know them!_ Yachi looks down at her feet, ashamed. "I-I mean, you just seem like such good friends…"

"Friends?!" Hinata squawks. "As if! We're bitter rivals! I'm gonna be the one to take him down!"

"Um." _Did I completely misread this? Oh, no!_ "You look like good friends to me," she mumbles.

"You think?" Hinata hums.

"Well, you don't seem to be afraid of Kageyama-kun--"

"He's not scary! Well, not most of the time…"

"--and your, um, quick! I've never seen anything like it!"

Hinata beams like the sun. "Yeah, we do look pretty cool, don't we?"

"Yeah." Yachi nods. "And Kageyama-kun seems to treat you a little differently than your other classmates. So I thought you were childhood friends, at least." Her voice peters off toward the end, and she glances up at him shyly.

"Nope. And like I'd be friends with someone like him! Even if he’s not scary, he's so mean! You saw him!"

A word flashes in Yachi's mind. _Tsundere._ Like in the shoujo manga she liked to read from time to time. He hadn't struck her as the type.

_Oh, no, I'm being presumptuous again!_ She wrinkles her nose.

"I'm sorry, then. It's just, um, I always see you two together. In practice. And you study together. And eat lunch together."

"It's 'cuz of exams," Hinata mumbles. "I can't risk not going to Tokyo! I wanna play Nekoma again!" Yachi blinks. "Well, you don't know Nekoma, 'cuz you've never met them, but they're so awesome. And Kenma, their setter, is super cool and smart."

"Wow," Yachi says. She plays with the pleats of her skirt nervously. "But you don't, uh, _not_ like Kageyama-kun, right? I don't want you guys having to pretend to be friends because you need my help."

"No, it's not like that at all, Yachi-san!" Hinata was very, very loud, indeed. Passer-bys were looking at them. "It's not your fault! We don't _hate_ each other." He lowers his voice and purses his lips. "And I guess…" He lets out a weird, strangled noise, and it seems like it's physically painful for him to get the words out. "He _is_ pretty cool. In volleyball. Not in anything else. Like, his tosses?" 

Yachi can pinpoint the exact moment stars erupt in Hinata's eyes.

"They're like _wham! Boom!_ Right into your hand! I always love that," he says brightly, with a far-off look.

"They are, aren't they?" Yachi says, and Hinata nods enthusiastically. "You're very good at volleyball, too, Hinata."

He smiles confidently. "I have to be! We're gonna make it to Nationals, and we're gonna win."

"Wow," Yachi breathes. Even though she had only met him a few days ago, whenever Hinata got like this, acting like the whole world was on his side, Yachi _got_ it. She believed him. There was an energy about him, as if the air itself was charged with positivity. Like he was completely assured in his words.

"And, I guess we need Kageyama to do that." He was pulling that face again. He looks almost defeated. "No, we _do_ need him and his stupid God hands."

Hinata sighs, as if the admittance had taken a great mental toll on him. Yachi gives him a small smile.

"It sounds like the two of you are friends to me," she tells him.

"Bitter rivals! I tell you! _Bitter!_ "

-

If Tanaka didn't know better, he'd call it a lover's quarrel.

However, he didn't know how many lover's quarrels started with him ripping the two parties off of each other in a gymnasium.

It wasn't like the tension between Kageyama and Hinata had been lost on him, he had just… assumed they would get over it. After all, the two of them would never willingly let anything interfere with volleyball or the team, right?

Wrong.

Because the two weren't talking with one another, and the effect that had on the mood of the team was palpable. He had no idea what it would be like without the two bickering and trying to one up each other, but he didn't like it already.

Sure, they were always competing with one another, but Tanaka thought they had been pretty close after Kageyama got over his ego and Hinata had learned to spike his sets. As far as he was concerned, those two problem first years had been inseparable.

Until they weren't.

And Yachi was upset, too. Tanaka saw the lost expression on her face as she worriedly looked between them. She was friends with the pair (even though she had vehemently told him that she wasn't interested in either of them when he asked, but you could never be sure, he was just looking out for his manager), and it was clear their snit was taking its toll on her. And Tanaka figured, if Yachi was down, it would make Shimizu sad, too.

Which was, naturally, unforgivable.

So he thought he should do something about it, and give them a piece of his mind, but he didn’t know exactly where to start. So, he did the only thing he could think of: turn to Suga.

“I don’t think you can force them to make up,” Suga tells him after he explains his plight.

“But it’s putting strain on Kiyoko-san!” It wasn’t, really, from what he could tell, but it very well may if it persists!

Suga gives him a look. “Are you worried about them because of Shimizu-san, or are you worried because they’re you’re teammates and you have a mind of your own?”

That shut him up. “Truth hurts, doesn’t it?”

Tanaka puts his hands on his hips. “Well then, what do we do? We can’t just… leave them alone,” he huffs.

“Why not?” Suga asks. “They need to figure out how to solve their own issues, you know.”

“But… They’re Hinata and Kageyama! They don’t know how to solve their own issues!”

“Oh, ye of little faith,” Suga says with a wan smile.

“You think they’ll figure it out?”

Suga quiets. “Well, we at least have to give them a shot, no?" 

_So you're not even sure, great._

"They need space," Suga continues. "We're a team, first and foremost, and teams -- just like all kinds of relationships -- have arguments they need to work through. At the end of this training camp, I'm sure those two, and Karasuno as a whole, will be much stronger." He shrugs. "At least, I hope."

"How's that for a vote of confidence?!"

"It's alright, it's alright," Suga chuckles. "They'll come around. And if they don't, I have no qualms about getting involved." His smile, by all accounts, looks pleasant, but Tanaka can easily see the thinly veiled threat behind it. "If it's for the good of the team."

_Yikes._ "But, Suga-san, it was bad. I know getting physical is, like, their thing, but I've never seen them so angry. Not even when they first joined and were at each other's throats constantly."

"Hm." Suga puts a hand to his chin, as if in deep thought. "I'll talk to Daichi if it gets super bad. For now, though, have faith. Those kids have been practicing so hard on their own."

"I guess, yeah," Tanaka concedes.

"I didn't expect their break up to be this messy, though," Suga huffs. Tanaka blinks.

“Break up? They’re not dating.”

Suga laughs airily. “Are they not? Coulda fooled me, you know.”

Tanaka’s eyebrows knit. Had he missed something between his precious kouhai? He had joked about their lover’s quarrel, but Suga didn’t seem to be too humourous, so was it that his senpai had managed to see something he hadn't? Maybe he doesn't really know how to recognize those things between two guys.

Like, _come on._ Those two? In a relationship? They wouldn't last a day.

_Shit, what if that's what happened?_

"Don't mind too much, Tanaka." Suga gives him a motherly pat on his shoulder. "We'll get our monsters back in play soon."

Then he walks away with a smile, leaving Tanaka standing, alone, and still somewhat anxious. From where he is in the corner of the gym, he can see the two troublemakers in question warming up separately, and it sends a stab through his chest.

(Tanaka wouldn't have to worry for too much longer, though, after he saw them come together in the new and improved version of their quick: this time, with gravity! It really did piss him off, just how good Kageyama was.)

-

Oikawa wasn't here to see Ushijima, and he wasn't here to see Kageyama, so really, he has no idea why he's here at all.

And he didn't want to be recognized, so he was wearing an unfamiliar jacket and had swapped his contacts out for glasses. 

This, regrettably, did nothing for Iwaizumi, who could probably recognize him through a pair of infrared goggles, and who came to sit and watch the match with him.

He wasn't here to see Ushijima or Kageyama, he was here to see Karasuno get their asses handed to them by Shiratorizawa.

Was he?

Really, he wouldn't be satisfied with any outcome of this match, and he _knows_ Iwaizumi knows that, so he, once again, has no idea what he's doing.

He hoped at least, if Karasuno managed to pull through, that he would be able to see the look of shock and awe on Ushijima's face when he was trumped by a bunch of (formerly) flightless crows-- and of course, the vice versa would do, too.

But it seems like he's going to be going home unhappy either way, because when that ball drops on Shiratorizawa's side of the net, the players diving for it fruitlessly, signalling the end of the fifth set and securing Karasuno's ticket to Nationals, Oikawa just feels a vague sense of disgust curling in his stomach.

When the two stand and he starts to usher Iwaizumi out, the other boy gives him a _look,_ and Oikawa's lips flatten. Begrudgingly, he would be remiss in not mentioning the skills displayed by the first years. Their three starters, and the pinch server who knocked off five points in a row in their final tête-à-tête, all showed vast improvement and aptitude.

That middle blocker with the glasses who jammed his fingers and managed to stop Ushijima, and the way Kageyama directed the game and his players, and, of course, that irritating little Chibi-chan.

"Chibi-chan," he laments to Iwaizumi, "is the type of hitter who hypnotizes the setter and makes you want to toss to him."

Iwaizumi gives a small little nod.

"Tobio hasn't realized it yet -- or maybe he doesn't want to -- but Chibi-chan has him wrapped around his little finger," Oikawa mutters. He pushes Iwaizumi along. "Let's get out of here. These cheers are making me sick."

"You've got a sparkling personality, Shittykawa."

"I'm aware."

As he ushers Iwaizumi out, his thoughts turn to the words he just said. As a setter, a conductor, he had to be hyper aware of everything that happened on the court. Where the blockers were. Where the ball was. It all came second nature to him. When he wasn't playing, he could sit back and watch the setter of the team run through these same thoughts, oil the same cogs in their mind, all in a few short seconds.

Kageyama was gifted-- that was a truth he was forced to admit. And that was made clear with how he tossed to Chibi-chan. But more than skill, it looked like he was having _fun._

And a person didn't have to look twice to see that Chibi-chan was having the time of his life every time he got to spike.

Oikawa has no idea where Kageyama would be if not for that spiker, and in the back of his mind, he wonders...

_Does he know how obvious he's being?_

Because honestly, he doesn't know if Kageyama knows the first thing about romance and love and other ooey-gooey feelings, but if he did, Oikawa would mark this down as a classic tale of enemies to friends to lovers.

(If, of course, he cared enough about Kageyama's relationships.)

But he knew from experience that volleyball and volleyball alone was _everything_ to Kageyama-- that's what he always thought.

And there was something about the way he played with Hinata that made him question that belief.

-

Miwa will admit to not being the best sister.

She thinks a lot, about Tobio, now that he's found his place in the world. She wasn't there for him after their grandfather died, and she rarely went to his games. As she approaches thirty, sentimentality takes over and she catches herself reminiscing. She remembers a headline in the local newspaper, about his team losing in a championship in his last year of middle school. And even if she was barely in the house, since she was already in university, she had noticed a shift in behaviour.

And likewise, she noticed a change when he got into high school.

But she doesn't ask about it. They can't talk about it. They've spent so long not talking that she has no idea how to start now. Especially after being so close as children.

So when they're eating dinner together (a rare occurrence), and she asks "how's volleyball?" she can't exactly blame him for the suspicious look he gets.

"It's fine," he says.

Curse her for trying to engage with a stone wall.

Though, maybe she's part of the reason he turned out like that.

"Just fine?"

"Mm."

"Are there any good players on your team? Any rivals?"

Tobio's eyes darken, in a way she can't describe as bad. "Yes."

"I see."

This is what she means. After she quit volleyball, things were never the same. She couldn't force it. She just hoped that this team would maybe be better for him than his previous team, whom she never saw anything of.

Which is why she's surprised when he brings someone home.

Tobio never had friends around since he was very young, never swung by with a girl (or, more realistically, a boy-- distance be damned, she lived in the same house as him for near sixteen years, she was going to pick up some things about him). It wasn't like he _couldn't_ , since their parents worked late into the night most days anyways and she was often out. He would’ve had the house to himself, to do as teenagers do.

"Thanks for having me!" she hears a shout from downstairs, through her headphones.

"Dumbass, don't be so loud!"

"I'm _trying_ to be grateful, Kageyama!"

_Why is there a yelling child in my house?_ is her first thought, followed by, _wait, Tobio invited someone over?_

With a sigh, she takes off her headphones and makes her way to the top of the stairs, in time to see a kid with bright orange hair struggling to get his shoes off as Tobio stands over him.

"Tobio, who's that?"

Both of their heads whip around and the orange kid's eyes widen. "I didn't know you were home," Tobio says brusquely. 

"Well, I am." She looks at the kid. "I'm Miwa. I'm Tobio's older sister."

"Sis-- Kageyama, you never told me you had a sister!" the kid exclaims, scrambling to his feet. Tobio shrugs, and the kid runs over to the foot of the stairs. "I'm Hinata Shouyou! I'm on the volleyball team with Kageyama!"

It seems like he has a volume knob that he has no idea how to turn down.

"Nice to meet you, Shouyou-kun." She attempts to catch Tobio's gaze, trying to ask _how the Hell did you make friends with someone like him?_ with only her eyes. But he's not looking at her, he's looking at Hinata, his dour look having evaporated for a split second.

"Yes!" He bows slightly. Miwa leans against the wall.

"Well, I'm going to be in my room studying. Don't make too much noise. Feel free to help yourself to some food, Shouyou-kun."

"Thank you, Miwa-san!"

She offers him half a smile before she turns away and starts heading back to her room. Their conversation, her words just moments prior having been apparently forgotten, floats upstairs.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a sister?!"

"Well, it's not like it was ever relevant!"

"You've met _my_ sister! You should've brought it up then!"

"She's your little sister! Miwa is my big sister!"

"What kind of excuse is that?"

...And Miwa hadn't seen (well, heard) him so fired up in a while. At home, he was fairly subdued. He always got so passionate about volleyball, she remembers wistfully, so she can't imagine that changed.

Still. This Hinata kid, whomever he was to Tobio, seemed to be an inspiration in change enough that he invited him over. He’s also, if she’s looking at the situation critically, essentially the polar opposite of her brother in personality, judging from that interaction. The type of person she could have never thought of Tobio liking. Even his teammates in middle school, whom he didn’t seem to be particularly friendly with, were, for the most part, generally calm and level-headed.

...Maybe high school changed him more than she had ever realized. It’s only been, what, a few months?

She puts on her headphones.

Well, it would be wrong to make assumptions about her brother’s dating life. They were both fairly private about that aspect of their lives. But it sure didn’t seem like he was bringing Hinata round for a date.

That’s what she thinks in the moment, but when she leaves her room an hour or two later to get something to eat, she imposes on quite the scene. And by scene, she means that the two have found themselves locked in some kind of battle, their books abandoned (since when did Tobio care about homework?) in favour of tussling. Their hands were interlocked, with Tobio pressing his knee down on Hinata’s chest, eyes sparking, as Hinata whimpers frustratedly.

She figures she should get involved-- whatever the Hell kind of ritual they were engaged in, she certainly didn’t want it happening in the living room. “Uh, Tobio?”

"Miwa-san! Help me!” Hinata wails from the floor. “Your brother is a lunatic!”

“Tobio, don’t kill your guest.”

“It’s his--” Hinata takes Tobio’s brief moment of distraction to overtake him, flipping him over. 

“Ha!”

“Erngh… Dumbass…”

She wishes she had stayed in her room. “I thought you two were doing schoolwork.”

“We _were_ \--”

“Why don’t you two take a break and go outside with a volleyball?” Miwa interrupts Tobio. _So I can make something to eat._ The two kids blink at each other, as if this option hadn’t occurred to them. Then the two detach, and clamber toward the door, grabbing a volleyball as they go. Miwa pinches the bridge of her nose.

“Come on! Give me a toss!” Hinata yells as he skips out of the house, while Tobio barks “wait until we get into the backyard!”

Miwa closes the door behind them and her hand stills on the doorknob after she does so. 

_Toss, huh?_

She realizes two things.

She had barely seen Tobio and his friend interact, and in the brief moments she observed them, they were quibbling like they couldn’t stand each other-- but Miwa knew her brother. If he truly hated the kid, he wouldn’t be there, in their house, on their lawn, tossing a volleyball back and forth.

Tobio was, for the first time in a while, brimming with so much vitality it threatened to spill over. After the death of their grandfather threatened to snuff out the flame that burned so bright in him, he had been haphazardly throwing gasoline into the fire, trying to keep himself going in any way he knew how.

But it seemed like something -- or maybe, more accurately, _someone_ \-- had breathed in new life, and oxidized him, in a safer, less destructive way.

(Though this realization wouldn’t solidify itself in Miwa’s mind until she watched Karasuno’s performance in Nationals, some time in the future, and exacerbated when she streamed the Adlers and the Jackals’ game.)

For the time being, she couldn’t figure out whether she was watching a date or not, and that may say more about her relationship with her brother than anything else.

-

Frankly, Miya Atsumu was _disgusted._

He wasn't all too familiar with Karasuno-- in fact, their name hadn't even passed his lips until they created waves usurping Shiratorizawa's place at Nationals.

So naturally, he was excited to see one of the guys who made it possible, their monster first year setter, who conducted the flow of the game and stole the win from Ushijima's left hand.

Disappointedly, however, the kid was an awful goody two shoes-- he had no real other way to describe it. Subservient. Milquetoast. Undeniably talented, and clearly filled with drive, but where was the _fire?_ The _drama?_

He simply adjusted to the needs of his team members ( _not as well as I do_ , Atsumu thinks tersely).

Which is why it's kind of a surprise when Kageyama throws up a toss that no one on his team would be able to hit. A toss that screamed for someone to be there, poised and ready.

Obviously, it falls easily to the ground, and the dumbfounded expression that crosses Kageyama’s face for a heartbeat almost draws a chuckle out of Atsumu.

(He's not the worst person, he thinks, he just enjoys a good schadenfreude as much as the next setter.)

The toss had been meant for one person and one person only, and Atsumu has the smallest bit of an inkling as to who it might be. He had heard whispers of a certain duo on Karasuno, but he never cared enough to look into it.

Still, it was an incredible mistake, one that Atsumu wouldn't really understand until he saw Kageyama and Hinata play together with his own eyes, and he got it.

Hinata was the type of spiker that made you want to set to him, he had an unbridled, irresistible energy about him that Atsumu could feel over in the bleachers. And he saw that Mr. Goody Two Shoes was wrapped up in his hype.

He was completely, utterly whipped…

...and Atsumu had been nonconsensually subjected to that bond of trust since he first met Kageyama at their training camp.

Osamu didn't seem as amused with this development as his brother was, but he hated fun, so what of it?

(...Though perhaps he wouldn't be so bitter if he had the experience of some years in the future along with him in his high school years, from when he was an adult and knew what a fun hitter Hinata could be. Even then, the expression on Kageyama's face when Atsumu had called him out on fraternizing with _his_ wing spiker was nothing short of utterly hilarious).

-

Alright, now this was ridiculous.

Tsukishima barely put up with the freak duo's antics in their first year, and when they got into their second year, he made sure their kouhai on the team knew that they were free to call out their setter and one of their best scorers on being complete buffoons.

There was a point, however, where their bickering shifted from an annoying, immature rivalry, to an annoying, immature courtship.

He didn't think things could get worse. He thought one day, he'd walk into the club room and see the two making out and wow, three years of tension had been magically alleviated. And well, that wasn't a sight he'd _like_ to see, necessarily, but it would be more ideal than whatever circus they were running.

Hinata was pressed up against one of their first years -- ah, perhaps _pressed_ was a generous term, there was space between them -- correcting his stance and his bumping form. From the look on the poor first year's face, it appeared that he was not prepared to get so up close and personal with _the_ Hinata Shouyou, who was smiling and laughing as obliviously as he had been ever since they met.

And watching them from the sidelines, stretching, with a mutinous look in his natural scorn, was Captain Obvious Kageyama Tobio.

"Now, now, Vice Captain King, are we feeling threatened?" Tsukishima jeered as he slid beside him, arms crossed. "Frown any harder and you might hurt yourself."

Kageyama whipped around to fix his murderous glare on Tsukishima instead. "What did you say?"

"If you want to stick your hands down Hinata's pants, I implore you to tell him, and stop scaring our first years." He nods towards Hinata. "Uehara is here to play volleyball, not be killed in a jealous rage."

"Wh-what?" Kageyama's face reddens when Tsukishima's words register. "I don't-- What?" Tsukishima snorts.

"Seriously. I think you know what I'm talking about. It's only been, what, three years?" he antagonizes with a smirk. It was way too easy to get reactions out of Kageyama, even though he toted himself as an unfeeling volleyball robot. "Are you really jealous of a first year?"

"The Hell are you talking about? Jealous? I'm not jealous," Kageyama retorts hotly.

"Yes, of course, my apologies," Tsukishima says wryly. "I'm only observing the situation with my eyes, after all."

"Shut up," Kageyama mumbles creatively. At that moment, Hinata laughs loudly-- from something that Uehara said, if the pleased expression on his face is anything to go off of. Kageyama's scowl only deepens.

"Please. Keep your drama in the bedroom, and off the court."

Push, push, push. Kageyama grabs the collar of his shirt, but he's not Hinata, and he can't be easily lifted up. "The blush looks good on you."

Kageyama's lips are as flat as a line, and his dark eyes spark like the beginnings of a fire-- Tsukishima can _feel_ the heat radiating off of him. Something inside him realizes that this fight isn't worth his time, so he pushes the blonde away and _tchs._

"Asshole," he mutters.

"You know me so well."

Hinata backs away from Uehara with a smile, and Tsukishima side-eyes Kageyama to see how he'll react. After a moment's hesitation, he tells "Hinata!" loud enough to startle the groups of players in the middle of their cooldown. It makes Uehara flinch, too, something Tsukishima can see all the way over where he is.

Hinata, however, remains unperturbed as he jogs over. "Jeez, Kageyama! Think you can be any louder? I don't think they heard you in Tokyo!"

Kageyama grabs the top of his head (lighter than he used to, Tsukishima notices, even though his hair is longer than it was in their first year) and steers him in the opposite direction of the first year. "Kageyama, that hurts!" he whines.

"I gotta talk to you about today's practice," Kageyama replies. _Nice one, King!_

"Is this about my accidental net touch?"

"No, idiot…"

Kageyama and Hinata walk to the other side of the gym, Hinata filling the air with inquiries as to the nature of their conversation, teasing his setter.

Yeah. Tsukishima had _no idea_ what Kageyama saw in the guy.

"Are you giving Kageyama a hard time again about Hinata?" A soft voice asks, coming up behind him.

Tsukishima turns to Yamaguchi. "He's giving himself a hard time by pussyfooting around it like a child."

"Come on now, don't be so harsh. You know Kageyama isn't great with these sorts of things."

"But you're not denying the fact that there's something there."

"Never have," Yamaguchi says with a mischievous smile. "We can't all be as in control of our emotions as you, Tsukki."

Tsukishima sighs. "Don't you and Yachi have a bet going about how long it'll take them to bone?"

"You don't have to word it like that."

"Sorry." He watches Uehara wander over to his friends and get socked in the shoulder by one of them. "I can only put up with _watch where you're going, idiot!_ and _you could've gotten hurt, dumbass!_ for so long."

"Maybe the jealous one is you," Yamaguchi suggests.

Tsukishima scoffs. "Yeah, right." He turns a little more towards Yamaguchi and lets him press into his side. "Unlike the King and his servant, I have all of my feelings in check."

"I guess I'm glad for that," Yamaguchi says into his shoulder.

Tsukishima smiles briefly, and then steps away. "Alright then, Captain, why don't you get back to your team?"

"Is that too much PDA for you?" Yamaguchi jokes.

"Definitely."

Yamaguchi gives him a grin and then walks out into the court, hands on his hips in a confident stance. "Alright, guys, let's get these balls cleaned up and this floor wiped! Narumiya, Oogata, stop sparring with the brooms, please."

"Yes, Yamaguchi-senpai!"

Hinata and Kageyama had broken apart and Kageyama was striding, with purpose, over to his water bottle, still looking a little flushed. 

Now, his vision isn't great in the first place, but Tsukishima would be blind to not notice how Hinata's gaze lingered on Kageyama for just a tad longer than it should have. Tsukishima would have groaned if he cared enough.

Maybe he should join in on Yachi and Yamaguchi's bet, and mark his vote down for _NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN._

...

...

...

Hinata’s muscles were aching with a familiar anticipation that he hadn’t felt in his bones for some time, standing on the court, dressed to the nines in his dark Black Jackals uniform, painting a contrast with his hair that he hadn’t been able to feel since graduating Karasuno.

He would be playing Kageyama for the first time since middle school. It wasn’t like he regretted any moment he was able to stand alongside him during their time at Karasuno, but the ability to finally face off with him, with their own teams, and see who came out on top, got his blood boiling and exhilaration rushing through his veins like nothing else.

So when he’s finally able to land a devastating spike on the Adlers, it feels like his heart is going to pound out of his body.

(Playing with Atsumu as his setter is undeniably different from Kageyama-- he’s elated to spike either way, but he can’t help catching on that fact.)

When Kageyama looks at him, with a bright, hungry smile, one that he could never forget, but was now staring him down from the opposite side of the net, his chest tugs with a longing he hasn’t sensed in a while. His opponent, his partner, in many ways, is flushed and sweaty and weirdly beautiful in a way that makes Hinata’s throat dry.

That’s when he knows for absolute certain that he’s made it, and he’s home.

**Author's Note:**

> "moue" was the word of the day on dictionary.com as i was writing this, so i thought i should include it. definition: a pouting grimace. yeah, fits kageyama p well. and there's a slight b99 ref in this, who can see it...  
> (the miwa part is the longest bc i'm sad ok??? let me have this.)  
> anyways, thanks for reading this h o t g a r b a g e. i must include tsukkiyama in my fics or i'll die, so i'm gonna go back to crying abt ch298  
> writing these guys is HARD bc furudate-san is so good and i... am just a trash man


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